<I>The Eagle/Cheryl Jessup</I>

With over a hundred species in the genus Rosa, and thousands of varieties of roses overall, there’s certainly something for everyone in the world of roses.

As traditional symbols of love and beauty, roses have been widely used in both ancient and modern-day times. In Greek and Roman mythology, roses were linked with the goddesses of love, and Christianity also has identified with roses in some of its symbolism.

There’s an entire parade named for roses, appropriately named “The Tournament of Roses Parade,” as well as a city, our own Portland, the “City of Roses.” The rose is the national flower of both England and the United States, and is the state flower for four states: Iowa, North Dakota, Georgia, and New York. Artists, authors, musicians and poets have long attempted to capture the rose’s essence in their creative works.

Roses have classically been represented in architectural designs and as a symbol for political parties. Not only is the oil from roses used as the basis for many perfumes, but rose hips, high in vitamin C, are sometimes eaten too, pressed into syrup, tea or jam. Roses have even been named after dozens of famous people, a diverse group that includes Shakespeare, Barbra Streisand, Billy Graham, Mary Queen of Scots, Freddy Mercury, Pele and Dolly Parton.

And roses are, continually, the No. 1 flower sent on – you guessed it – Valentine’s Day.

Joni Bebb, owner of John Day Floral, affirms that Grant County is no different from anywhere else when it comes to the overall popularity of roses, especially on Valentine’s Day.

Bebb orders her roses from a wholesale florist in Portland, who gets them from locations all over the world: Denmark, South America, and even Australia. She says one difference here in a rural area is that flower deliveries are generally every other day, rather than daily as in a metro area. This makes it even harder to predict and have on hand what might be needed any given day or time – roses or otherwise – for any occasion or holiday. And for Valentine’s Day when the demand is especially high, the margin of error is even slimmer.

Across town at A Flower Shop and More, owner Teri Bowden reflects the same sentiments. Bowden generally orders her flowers from a wholesaler in Boise. But for roses, especially for Valentine’s Day, when both the demand and the cost are high, she orders in bulk directly from a grower in Ecuador.

She wants to keep the price as low as possible for her customers, and knows she’ll need as many as she can get her hands on anyhow.

As far as the key to keeping cut roses in top shape for as long as possible, Bowden stresses just three little words, “Food, food, food!”

Most arrangments come with a packet of special rose food. She also recommends re-cutting them frequently so they will drink more water, keeping them fresher, longer.